The Day of Love
by BriKitt3
Summary: Danny's Valentine's Day goes from bad to worse, causing Steve to reevaluate a few things.


Danny always hated Valentine's Day. He never could get relationships right, and the holiday of love was just another reminder of that. When he and Rachel were married, he would go all out with dinner reservations, flowers, chocolates, wine, and more. He was certain if he didn't, then she would have yet another reason to leave him.

Then she did leave, taking Grace with her. Danny had followed them to this pineapple infested hell hole, and he couldn't even spend this Valentine's Day with Grace and Charlie because Rachel had them this weekend. It was just another reminder of how alone he truly was.

Valentine's Day started out like any other day for Danny. He woke up, showered, put on some coffee and got dressed. He silently hoped Five-O would catch a case that way he didn't have to listen to the silence of his house all day.

He was tempted to call Melissa, but they had ended things weeks ago. She had claimed he didn't pay enough attention to her, and she knew he would never be able to fully commit to her. Danny had spent the following days going over every second they had spent together. He just didn't see where he had went wrong. When he wasn't at work, with his children, or with Steve, he was with Melissa. Granted it was usually spent talking about either work, his children, or Steve, but that was his life. If she couldn't accept that, then it wasn't meant to be.

Danny briefly wondered if Steve had plans with Lynn today. The two were an odd couple, and she wasn't someone Danny ever pictured Steve being with. But if she made his partner happy, then that was all that mattered.

The second Danny's phone rang he practically ran across the living room to grab it in hopes of being called into work.

"Williams," He stated without looking at the caller ID.

"Danny, I'm just letting you know that Lynn and I are going to be in Waikiki today. Kono is with Adam, Chin is with Abby, and Lou is with his wife. So any calls that come in HPD will be handling," Steve informed him.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, have a good time," Danny mumbled solemnly.

"Thanks, bud. And Danno?" Steve said hesitantly.

"Yes, Steven?"

"Happy Valentine's Day, Danno." With that, the call disconnected, and Danny was left alone once again.

Two hours ticked by as Danny stared at the infomercial on his television. He was beginning to get stir crazy, and needed to get out of the house. At least Valentine's Day meant that he got to drive his own car.

Danny slipped outside and into his car without the slightest idea of where he was headed. It was a warm day in Hawaii, and he rolled down the windows and let the sunroof open. He hated to admit it, but there was something therapeutic about the golden rays that never seemed to leave the island.

Danny decided to head towards the North Shore where he could find a good lookout point to spend the day. Going through town, he passed couples kissing and women carrying bouquets of red roses. It made his heart ache for someone to spend the day with. He knew he hadn't truly been in love with Melissa, but it didn't mean that he hadn't enjoyed her company.

About an hour later, Danny was making his way up the curvy road on the North Shore. He pulled into the lookout point and was glad to see that he was alone. He wanted company today but not with strangers.

Danny pulled his phone from his pocket as he moved towards the edge of the lookout. It was a beautiful view- the rocky shore below was met with crashing waves.

Danny snapped a picture of the view, intent on sending it to Grace and Charlie, when he realized he had no signal. He scoffed at the realization that he was truly cut off and alone on Valentine's Day.

He sat there for a long time, what could have been hours, just watching the waves crash below. Usually the ocean bothered him, but today it was his only entertainment. When the sun started to recede, Danny decided to head back towards town.

He hopped in his car and began descending the curvy roads. He was carefully navigating his way around the mountain when a red sports car came speeding around the curve. Danny barely had time to snatch the wheel and avoid head on collision before he smashed into the guardrail. His car flipped once, then twice before everything went black.

Steve cursed as he got Danny's voicemail once again. He had tried calling him ten times over the past four hours and had gotten his voicemail each time. The first time he had tried him was to see if Grace still liked bracelets. Her interests were changing so rapidly that Steve could never keep up. He had seen a beautiful red bracelet in a shop in Waikiki, but wasn't sure if she would still wear it. Danny hadn't picked up, so Steve bought it anyways.

The second time he tried Danny was about thirty minutes later while Lynn was getting ready to head to the beach. He sat on the bed in his swim trunks and listened to Danny's voicemail once again. He didn't even leave a message, just hit redial. Again, no answer.

Lynn stepped out of the bathroom, and Steve barely glanced her way as he began packing his suitcase back up.

"Where are you going?" She asked surprised.

"Danny isn't answering his phone, so I am heading back to check on him," Steve replied while throwing his things into the suitcase.

"Are you kidding me?" The tone of her voice caused Steve to look up from his mission at hand. She was staring at him in disbelief and aggravation.

"No, Lynn. I am not kidding. Something could be wrong. Danny doesn't just go without answering his phone," he stated, confident that Danny was in trouble.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to talk to you, Steve. Can you not live without him for one day? This was supposed to be our day, but yet again Danny is the center of your universe." Her words made Steve's jaw drop. Danny was his best friend, he could be in trouble, and she's worried about Valentine's Day.

Steve shook his head in disappointed wonder as he zipped his bag up.

"If you walk out that door, don't worry about coming back," Lynn said bitterly.

Steve headed toward the door with his suitcase in hand.

"I wasn't planning on it." With that he let the door close behind him, leaving Lynn alone.

After that, Steve had called Danny repeatedly as he drove the distance to his partner's house. When he arrived, the car was gone and the house was locked. There were no signs of forced entry or a kidnapping. Once again, Steve tried Danny's cell. Nothing.

His heart was racing as he took out his key to Danny's house and opened the front door. He scanned the living room and then moved to the kitchen. The coffee pot was half full, but was now cold. It hadn't been used in hours. Steve checked the rest of the house before concluding that everything looked okay, minus the fact that Danny wasn't there.

He had no idea where Danny would go or where he might be. Finally, Steve pulled out his phone and dialed Rachel.

"Hello?" Rachel answered after two rings.

"Rachel, it's Steve."

"Hello, Steve. Happy Valentine's Day. What can I do for you?" Rachel asked politely.

"You as well, Rachel. I'm calling to see if you have heard from Danny today," Steve said with a voice full of concern.

"No, I have not heard from Daniel since yesterday. Grace tried calling him about two hours ago, but he didn't answer. We figured the two of you had plans together."

"Me and Danny? Why would we have plans together on Valentine's Day?" He asked dumbfounded.

Rachel laughed before proceeding, "Steve, we just want Danny to be happy, and obviously the person that makes him happy is you. You two are always together, so I figured today would be no different."

Steve just stared at the blank television as he let Rachel's words sink in. Yes, it was true that Danny was fairly happy when they were together, and Danny made him happy. But that didn't mean they were anything more than best friends, right?

"Steve, just think about who you really want to spend this day with, and let me know when you hear from Daniel, please."

"I will," was all Steve could say before the line disconnected, and he was left with a whirlwind of thoughts.

'Dammit,' He thought to himself as Rachel's words resonated through his mind. If he were being honest, the first person he thought of spending Valentine's Day with had been Danny. Then Lynn had called him asking what he had planned for them, and he was reminded that he had a girlfriend. Still, that didn't mean he had romantic feelings for Danny, did it?

Steve cursed under his breath as he bolted out of the house and into his truck. The second the door shut, his phone rang.

"McGarrett," He answered, hoping to hear his partner's voice.

"This is Nurse Kaleia with North Shore Medical Center. This is Commander Steven McGarrett?" A soft voice came over the line, and Steve's breath caught in his throat.

"Y-yes," He managed to say. Something was wrong, and he knew who this was probably about.

"You are listed as the emergency contact for one Daniel Williams." Steve's chest was growing tight, and the inside of the truck wasn't giving him enough air.

"Detective Williams was brought in just a short while ago as the result of a vehicular accident. I cannot give any further information over the phone, but if you can come down to the hospital we can speak with you more then," Nurse Kaleia stated sympathetically.

"I'll be right there," He said before hanging up the phone. What the hell was Danny doing on the North Shore? How the hell had he been in an accident?

Steve blew out a deep breath before putting the truck in drive and taking off toward the North Shore. He should have been with Danny today. Maybe then this wouldn't have happened. Instead, he had left his best friend alone to spend time with a woman he didn't even truly love. Now Danny was in the hospital in an unknown condition.

Steve made record time getting to North Shore Medical and had called Kono and Chin on the way. Kono had stopped what she was doing to look at HPD's call log over the last few hours. There had been three calls of accidents, but only one in North Shore. According to Kono, a speeding sports car had caused Danny to swerve and flip over the guard rail, crashing into the embankment of the mountainside.

The call hadn't listed what injuries or damage had occurred, but it had happened over two hours ago. Steve ran through the doors of the hospital searching for his partner. The television in the waiting area caught his attention as it played news footage of a local car accident.

Nausea rolled through Steve at the sight of the camaro flipped and crushed on the mountainside. He had been tortured, beaten, and almost killed more times than he could count, but this feeling was one he had only felt one other time- when his father died.

Steve couldn't bear to lose Danny, his best friend, his partner. He kept him sane and drove him mad all at once. He pushed his button but also calmed him. He brought more light to Steve's dark world than Steve could have ever imagined. He couldn't lose that light- he wouldn't.

"I need to know where Detective Williams is," Steve demanded as he turned to the nurses' station.

"Sir, one moment please." The nurse held a finger up to him as she talked into the phone.

Steve was about to say something when he heard the most beautiful sound.

"Would you just let me go home now? I have a Navy Seal as a partner, a Seal! I have seen much worse injuries than this, and I am very capable of bandaging my own wounds." The sound of ranting and annoyance filled his ears. Steve would know that voice anywhere.

Instantly, Steve rushed through the doors that led to the treatment area. He could hear the protests of the nurse, but he didn't care. He just kept moving toward the sound of a ranting Jersey native.

Steve ripped back the curtain to reveal Danny lying on a bed, swatting at the doctor's hands.

"I told you I am fine. I-" Danny's words were cut short when he noticed Steve come into the room.

"Oh, hello Steven," Danny greeted as if it were just any other day.

"Danny, are you okay? What the hell happened?" Steve took inventory of his partner's body from the cast on his left arm to the bandage the doctor was trying to apply to Danny's head.

"What happened? Oh I'll tell you what happened. People give licenses to wild animals these days, and safe law abiding citizens like myself pay the price." Danny continued rambling, but Steve wasn't focused on what he was saying. He just stared at the blood on his partner's forehead that the doctor was wiping off. The gash was going to require stitches, but Danny was alive. Steve felt like he was breathing again for the first time in an eternity. He had come so close to losing him, to losing the person that matters most to him.

"Steve, are you listening to me?" Steve refocused back on Danny's face causing Danny to throw his own good arm up in mock disbelief.

"Of course, you don't even listen to me when I'm lying on my death bed," Danny remarked sarcastically.

"Your death bed?" Steve retorted louder than he intended.

"That is nowhere near funny, Danny. Do you have any idea how I felt on the drive up here not knowing if you were alive or dead? All I could think about was what I was going to tell Grace and Charlie. Would Rachel still let me see them on your weekends if you were dead? Or would she somehow blame me for this like you always find a way to? Do you have any idea what I would do if I lost you?" He was damn near yelling now, but he didn't care.

Steve had moved closer with each word, and the doctor quickly moved out of the way and into the hall, leaving them alone.

"I—I didn't know," Danny stuttered.

"You didn't know what? That you are the most important person in my life? That I couldn't bear to lose you? That I love you?" The words rushed out of his mouth before he could stop them. They had said it before, but this time it felt different. It felt like everything was suddenly so clear.

Danny stared at him bewildered.

"I love you, too. You know you and my kids are the center of my universe. I'm sorry for today, but in my defense, I didn't cause the accident." Danny through his one good hand up in defense.

Steve was now right beside Danny's bed staring at the blood and cast.

"I don't think you understand, Danny."

"Understand what, Steven?" Danny sounded exasperated.

"What you have done to me. I can't take it anymore," Steve whispered with his heart pounding in his ears.

"Excuse me? What I have done to you? Need I remind you of the numerous times you have gotten me shot—" Danny's words were cut off as Steve's lips crashed into his. It was sudden and rough. Then, Steve felt Danny melt into his touch and it became soft and passionate. Warmth flooded through Steve's body, and he was certain he had never felt this way. Not with Catherine or Lynn or anyone. It was as if he was touching the entire world with his fingertips- the only thing he would ever need or want was right here in front of his, kissing him.

Danny was shocked at first when Steve's lips met his, but then it was as if nothing else in the world mattered. There was no fear of feelings, no judgement, no embarrassment. It was natural and wonderful, and Danny craved for more of that feeling.

The sound of a throat clearing caused the two men to pull back from one another, turning to the doorway.

"Sir, I really need to stitch up your partner before he loses too much blood," The doctor from earlier said.

Steve's eyes caught Danny's as a goofy grin spread across his face.

"Partner. I like that," Steve stated, and Danny just shook his head, watching Steve leave the room.

Outside, Steve called Kono.

"Hey, boss. How's Danny?"

"Broken arm and a concussion, but he's going to be fine. It could have been a lot worse." Steve couldn't stop his voice from shaking at the thought of Danny dying.

"I know, boss. But he's going to be okay and that's what matters," Kono reassured him. He could hear the concern and relief in her voice, and it made him smile.

"Hey, Kono. Can I ask a favor from you?" Steve grinned as he gave the officer instructions on what to do.

A few minutes later, Steve returned to Danny's room to find him bandaged up.

"He's refusing to stay overnight, so we are sending him home with medications and strict orders for rest," The doctor informed Steve. Of course Danny wouldn't stay.

"I'll make sure he gets home and relaxes," Steve assured the doctor. Danny cut his eyes at a grinning Steve.

"I am not going to your house, Steven."

"I don't think it's up for discussion, Daniel," Steve smirked before gathering Danny's things.

A little over an hour later, they pulled up to Steve's house. Steve hoped he had given Kono enough time to complete the mission.

"Come on, Danno. Let's get you up and into bed," Steve said, walking around to open Danny's door.

"Oh, you think I'm that kind of girl, huh? One kiss and I'll just go to bed with you? Sorry, sweetheart, but you'll have to wine and dine me a little first," Danny ranted. Steve was grinning from ear to ear as they got to the front door.

"I was hoping you would say that," He stated and opened the door.

Danny's jaw dropped at the sight of rose petals covering the entry way leading into the living room. Candles gave the house a romantic glow, and the dining table was set up with wine glasses and dinner.

Danny turned to Steve who closed the door and walked over to his partner.

"Please tell me this isn't for Lynn," Danny said, needing confirmation.

Steve wrapped his arms around Danny and rested his forehead on his.

"This is all for you, Danno," Steve whispered against Danny's lips. Once again, their lips met with the taste of passion and desire.

Despite the rough start, Danny thought this might be the best Valentine's Day yet.

The End.


End file.
